New Delhi: It’s been an unimaginable 12 months for Indian chess, and it could to get even higher over the subsequent fortnight.
GM Vidit Gujrathi, gold medallist on the Chess Olympiad, on the Hindustan Occasions Management Summit 2024, in New Delhi on Thursday. (HT)
The Indian open and ladies’s groups gained their first-ever Olympiad gold medals, there are two Indian gamers ranked within the high 5, and certainly one of them — D Gukesh — is the favorite to win the World Championship match later this month.
India’s Olympiad glory has been within the making over the past decade. Two key gamers who made historical past within the marketing campaign, Vidit Gujrathi and Harika Dronavalli, encapsulated the rise of Indian chess and mentioned the ins and outs of what makes them and their compatriots click on, on the twenty second Hindustan Occasions Management Summit.
Vidit, ranked 15 on the planet, believes that the Olympiad double gold has reworked how Indian chess and its gamers are seen by the world. “So many people — even on the streets of London — came up and asked me for a picture, which was surprising; it’s not something I was used to. It made me realise the significance of this Olympiad win and how much of a difference it has made,” he mentioned in a session moderated by senior assistant editor Susan Ninan.
For Harika, 33, it’s been a very lengthy wait. She and Koneru Humpy have been flag-bearers of Indian ladies’s chess for many years. Final 12 months R Vaishali joined them as India’s third feminine Grandmaster.
“It took a long time for it (Olympiad gold) to fully sink in. It has been a dream come true, especially since this was my 10th Olympiad and my 20th year of playing at this level. For years, I dreamed of being on that podium and didn’t understand why it hadn’t happened before,” Harika mentioned.
The Olympiad additionally revealed the energy of Indian ladies gamers resembling Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal, who completed with particular person board medals. “This is one of the best times for Indian women’s chess,” mentioned Harika, “I haven’t seen the gap between top players close this quickly in years, which shows how strong women’s chess is in India right now. This growing competition makes everyone work harder and get stronger. For further progress, I think young girls should aim high — not just for titles like Woman Grandmaster but for even higher goals.”
Motherhood, Harika mentioned, has allowed her to place skilled objectives, challenges and setbacks into perspective. “I was once like these young players now, playing one tournament after another, setting one goal after the next. Chess felt so stressful back then, with everything focused on winning medals, and jumping to the next tournament. But since becoming a mother, I’ve realised that there are more stressful things in life — like worrying about your toddler falling down. That put everything in perspective. Now, I truly value just having the opportunity to sit at the board and play. Competing in tournaments and playing for the country is still important, but it doesn’t feel as stressful.”
Very similar to chess followers in every single place, Harika is hoping the World Championship is aggressive and interesting. Defending world champion Ding Liren’s type lately has been a priority. He’ll go up towards a hungry Gukesh, who shall be aiming to turn into the youngest ever world champion.
Vidit believes that Gukesh’s strategy to chess is kind of distinctive and touches upon a visual change he seen within the 18-year-old on the latest Olympiad.
“I’ve known Gukesh for a long time. Back in 2017, during the World Cup, I even invited Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa to my home for a training camp. I remember them being so young — maybe 13 and 14. Gukesh’s approach to chess is quite unique. For his first 14 years or so, until he became a Grandmaster, he didn’t use chess engines at all. That approach gives him a different perspective, unaffected by the modern chess engines. His thinking remains very original, even though he’s adapted to the current ways of playing. In the past, during team championships, he tended to keep to himself, needing his own space. But at the Olympiad, I noticed a transformation. He was more outgoing, engaging, and enjoying himself.”
On the upcoming World Championship, Vidit mentioned that whereas Ding is out of shape and affected by a confidence disaster, Gukesh’s newest event efficiency (on the European Membership Cup) means that he may not be at his peak both proper now.
“Ding was at his best in 2018-2019, playing at an exceptionally high level. If he can bring some of that level back, he could put up a good match. But confidence is critical. When you’re confident, you don’t hesitate or double-check everything; you play with instinct and can intimidate your opponent. If Ding can regain some of that form, it’ll be a competitive match,” Vidit, who turned 30 final month, mentioned.
“Gukesh did struggle a bit in his last rapid tournament, losing around 10 rating points, which suggests he may not be at his absolute peak either… But he has this intense ‘game face’ and a fierce drive to win — a bit like Garry Kasparov. ”